Turnbuckle for jack pumping systems



Oct. 23, 1934. w AULD 1,978,336

TURNBUCKLE FOR JACK PUMPING SYSTEMS Filed May 15, 1933 P I l l l I .322/ 2 g, 7 INVENTOR.

" UnnaldWAuld u m %fi W ATTORNEYS.

Patented 1934 PATENT OFFICE 1.91am I rUnNnUcxLr: FOR JACK srs'rnmsDonald w. Auld, llartleavllle, th., aaslgnor to Phillips PetroleumCompany, Bartlelvlll 0th., a corporation of Delaware rumnvo ApplicationMay 15, 1osa, sum No. 011,233

-1 Claim.

marily intended for use in connection with oil well pumping systemswherein a number of wells are operated from a central power plant bymeans i of surface pull lines between the wells and power,

' and has particular reference to pumping systems such as described inan application by Thomas E.

Hindman filed May 5, 1933, Serialllo. 669,597, and

relating to a Method and apparatus for the in maintenance and operationof Jack pumpin y r tems". I

In the system of pumping a plurality of oil wells by the use of a singleband wheel power, considerabletrouble is encountered due to ex-' pansionand contraction of the pull lines which connect the central power withthe individual pumping jacks. This-expansion and contraction,

. due to changes in surface temperatures, causes the pumping jacks,sucker rods, and pump plunger 90 together with its cups to operate invarying zones. With a rise in surface temperature, resulting inexpansion of the pull line, the plunger and cups will operate in a zonelow down in the working barrel permitting the upper part of the workingbarrel to be corroded to a degree depending upon the corrosiveness ofthe oil being pumped, whereas with a fall-in surface temperature,resulting in contraction of the pull line, the plunger and cups willoperate in a zone high up in the working barrel so that the cups contactwith the corroded inner surface of the working barrel and are sublectedto excessive wear. i

It is therefore the primary object of the presentinvention to provide animproved form of device adapted to be interposed insurface pull lines totraction in the line and thereby insuring travel of the pump plunger inthe same zone of contact in the working barrel. I,

A further object of the invention is to provide a device forautomatically compensating for expapsion and contraction due totemperature changes, in any reciprocating .rods employed fortransmitting power for a considerable distance and wherein it isessential that the operated mechanism operate without variance in itsmovement, Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentduring the course of the following detailed description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part of thisspecification and in which drawing:-

' Figure 1 is a top plan view of the device shown connected in a pullline.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device shown .in its oppositeposition of movement from that shown in Figure I.

automatically compensate for expansion and contion 0.

The present invention relates to apparatus prif Figure 3 is-a view inside'elevation showing one of the ratchets engaging its pawl to extendthe pull line after having been contracted due to a lowering oftemperature along the pull line.

Figure 4 is a view in side elevation showing 00 one of theratchets-engaging its pawl so as toautomatically contract the pull lineafter having been elongated due to a rise in temperature along the pullline.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein 68 similar referencecharacters designate corresponding parts thruout the several views, theapparatus is intended to be interposed in a pull line and serve as aportion thereof in such manner as to automatically compensate for expan-I0 sion and contraction in the line due to changes in surfacetemperature.

The device which is mounted adjacent one end of the pull line andpreferably near the pumping jack, comprises a substantially fiat base orstand A which may be formed of metal or any other suitable material. Thebase A may be rigidly mounted in place upon a suitable foundation so asto extend longitudinally of the path of reciprocatory movement of thepull line and provide 30 means for guiding of the pull line couplingsections B and C, as well 'as the, means D actingto automaticallycompensate for any expansion and contraction in the pull line at eitherside of the device. The coupling section B is pref- 35 erably coupled tothe pull line rimning to the g source of power, while the couplingsection C is coupled to the usual rod or stirrup which is attached tothe pumping Jack.

The base A is provided at one end of its body so portion 5 with anofiset 6 and. at its opposite end with an offset '7, and these offsetsrespectively support standards 8 and 9, the standard 8 being provided atits upper end with a slide way 10 and the standard 9 is provided at itsupper end with a slide bearing 11. The coupling section B is provided atone end with a U-shaped cross head 12 embodying parallel arms 13 whichare reciprocally guided in the slide way 10, and

connecting the armsat one end is a crosspiece 14 providing a nut havingits screw threaded bore extending parallel to the arms 13. The couplingsection C which is reciprocally guided in the bearing 11 in axialalignment with the cross head 12, is provided at its inner end with acoupling head 15 which is substantially D-shaped and providing acrosspiece 16. This crosspiece 16 is provided with a circular opening 17which is co-axial with the axis of the coupling sec- The pull linecoupling sections B and C are connected by an adjustable coupling memberE automatically operated by the means D to compensate for any expansionand contraction in the pull line. This coupling member E is formed withscrew threads 18 at one end for threading into the nut 14 and has itsplane shank portion 19 rotatable in the opening 17 and provided with ahead 20 for engaging the inner side of the crosspiece 16 whereby aswivel coupling is formed between one end of the coupling member-E andthe pull line coupling section C. Thus it will be seen that uponrotation of the coupling member E in one direction, the spacing betweenthe nut 14 and coupling head 15 may be increased, while upon rotatingthe coupling member in an opposite direction, the spacing between thenut 14 and coupling head 15 may be decreased.

The coupling member E is automatically operated by the means D, and thisautomatic operation is accomplished whenever the coupling member ismoved in either direction beyond a given path of movement. The means Dcomprises-a crosshead 22 reciprocally guided between guide rails 23mounted upon the base body portion 5 to extend parallel to the line ofreciprocatory movement of the pull line. Carried by the crosshead 22 isa standard 24 providing a bear-' ing for a shaft 25 journaled to extendat a right angle to the axis of the coupling member or shaft E. Rigidlysecured to the outer end of the shaft 25 is a pair of inner and outerratchet wheels 26 and 27 respectively having the teeth thereofoppositely arranged as shown in Figure 3. Keyed or otherwise secured tothe inner end of the shaft 25 is a bevel gear 26 for meshing with abevel gear 29 fixed on the coupling shaft E. Carried by the base Aadjacent opposite ends of the slide way for the crosshead 22 is a pairof ratchet arms or pawls 30 and 31 which respectively co-act with theratchet wheels 26 and 27 to impart rotation to the shaft 25. Theseratchet arms are mounted upon posts 32 by means of bolts 33 extendedthru slots in the ratchet arms to permit for adjustment of the ratchetarms longitudinally of the base A.

Carried by or formed integral with the standard 24 is an angular bracketarm 35 having its arm 36 connected to the shaft E at the plane portion19 of the shaft. The shaft portion 19 may be provided with a collar 37operating in a-bearing 38 formed at the end of the arm 36 whereby thecoupling shaft is free to rotate. This manner of connecting the standard'24 to the shaft E retains the bevel gears. 28 and 29 in mesh and alsocauses the standard to reciprocate with the pull line.

In use of the device, the pawls 30 and 31 are first adjusted so as notto be engaged by their respective ratchet wheels 26 and 27 duringreciprocation of the pull line. So long as an average or meantemperature exists and there is no material degree of expansion orcontraction of the pull line, the ratchet wheels will not contact thepawls. However, if there is a considerable drop or fall in temperatureso that the pull line is contracted, the ratchet wheel 27 will engageits pawl 31 whereupon, thru the shaft 25 and bevel gears 28 and 29, thecoupling shaft E will be rotated in a direction for increasing thespacing between the nut 14 and swivel coupling head 15 so as toautomatically compensate for this contraction in the pull line. Whenthere is a material increase in temperature beyond the mean temperatureso that the pull line is elongated to a considerable extent, the ratchetwheel 26 will be engaged by its pawl 30 and the coupling shaft E rotatedin a direction to compensate for this elongation of the pull line. Thenut 14 is held against rotation by the arms 13 of the cross head 12 andthus permits feeding of the threaded portion 18 into and out of the nutupon rotation of the coupling shaft. The coupling shaft'E provides ineffect, a turnbuckle coupling having threaded connection at one end anda swiveled connection at its opposite end.

Thus it will be seen that when the apparatus is interposed in a pullline, the apparatus will act to automatically compensate for expansionand con- 135 traction in the line due to temperature changes.

Changes in details may be made to the form of invention herein shown anddescribed, without departing-from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the following claim.

I claim:

In oil well pumping apparatus, in combination with a surface pull line,a stationary stand mounted .adjacent to one end of the line, a couplingsection reciprocally 'guided on the stand for connection with the longerportion of the line, means for preventing rotation of the couplingsection, a second coupling section reciprocally guided on the stand inspaced apart axial alignment with the first coupling section, arotatable coupling 2 member connecting the sections in spaced apartrelation and having screw threaded connection with the non-rotatablecoupling section and swivel connection with the other coupling section,a guideway on the stand parallel to the pull line, a standard guided inthe guideway and connected for reciprocatory movement by the couplingmember, a shaft journaled in the standard, bevel gearing between theshaft and coupling member, and ratchet means for imparting rotation ofthe shaft to compensate for elongation and contraction of

